New-look eskimos defence to take field next season
Defensive co-ordinator believes team did great job signing free-agent players
It’s tough to look at the Edmonton Eskimos free-agent signings this week and not see newly crowned defensive co-ordinator Phillip Lolley’s fingerprints all over some of them.
While the focus of the city was on how the team would go about replacing the face of the franchise in departing quarterback Mike Reilly, Lolley was busy bringing in a new quarterback of the defence to fill the void left over by the sudden retirement of middle linebacker and defensive captain J.C. Sherritt.
Not only did Lolley find what he said is the perfect replacement for the player who’s been the heartand-soul of the Eskimos defence for the past eight seasons, but the neighbouring linebackers on either side of him, as well.
Larry Dean played in the heart of Lolley’s defence in Hamilton, where he earned back-to-back division all-star nods the past two years. And alongside him was coverage linebacker Don Unamba, who himself is coming off a CFL all-star season.
If that wasn’t enough of a steal, the Eskimos also hooked the fish that was initially speculated to replace Dean in Hamilton: former Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox.
“We had to replace some people and some different things in there that we all thought we might lose in free agency,” Lolley said. “And I thought we did a great job.”
All three, for now, are pencilled in to start alongside each other on an Eskimos linebacking corps that Lolley coached on the way to the 2015 Grey Cup during his first stop in Edmonton, under longtime friend, and head coach at the time, Chris Jones.
But Lolley’s not taking credit for bringing anyone in, alone.
“I’ve got a good group to work with,” said Lolley, 64. “When you work and everybody’s got the same goals, it makes it easy on everybody.”
After all, he was equally as excited to see the talent added on the offensive side of things Tuesday, headed up by the addition of quarterback Trevor Harris, among other instantly recognizable names.
“I was printing the information this morning and I was like, ‘What a great day,’” Lolley said from Alabama. “I sent Brock (Sunderland, general manager) and me and Jason (Maas, head coach) talked and said I don’t know if it could have went much better in the first day.
“It’s not just 10 people, it’s 10 bona fide guys who have been really good in this league. And there’s some quality playing time behind those 10.”
At first glance, it appeared as if the linebacking unit was Lolley’s biggest area of concern. But the changes basically forced themselves with Sherritt’s departure to the Calgary Stampeders coaching staff, as well as coverage linebacker Chris Edwards following Reilly to the B.C. Lions, while the outside linebacker position that had been manned by Canadians the past two seasons appears to be headed for a ratio change.
“When somebody new comes in, like myself, I’m going to have particular things that I believe in, maybe somebody else don’t,” said Lolley, who inherits a group that was last in the division when it came to opposing quarterback ratings, passing yards, average rushing yards. “I’m going to have certain standards that I want the guys to play with, certain ways that I play. The top three tacklers off last year’s team are now gone.”
Sherritt’s 100 tackles led the Eskimos, ahead of Edwards’ 50 and the 63 posted by defensive back Aaron Grymes, also a freeagent pickup by the Lions, and was good for fifth in the CFL last year.
“I’ve coached J.C. here before. Nobody loves J.C. more than I do,” Lolley said. “A great competitor and now he’s going into the second part of his football career as a coach now, instead of a player. I think he finds out before it’s all over that he’ll probably rather play a little bit more again than coach.”
Dean, however, finished in third place overall with 105 tackles to go along with two interceptions and a touchdown.
“The people in Edmonton are really going to enjoy watching this young man play because you’re going to get what he’s got,” Lolley said. “They had a young man there over the past few years, everybody loved J.C., and this guy is the same type guy. Very quality person, he’s going to come to work every day, you know? He loves football.
“I always say knock on wood when you make certain comment, but Larry’s proven through the years since he’s been in the CFL that he’s very durable.
“Santos-Knox is the same way, he’s a young guy and he gives you a really great effort. Unamba’s the same way, he’s very versatile. When I had him in Hamilton, you could put him at two or three positions. The type of guy in this league that you’ve got to have.
“You look at those guys plus some of the guys that we already have on the roster, and I told them: ‘Now the positions are there, you’ve got to win it.’ Every position’s always open. Always.” In and out: The Eskimos added a 10th free agent this week, signing Canadian OL Qadr Spooner to a one-year deal. The six-foot-four, 305-pound McGill product was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the second round (15th overall) in 2017.
When you work and everybody’s got the same goals, it makes it easy on everybody.